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Asteroid, as Big as Burj Khalifa, Hurtling Towards Earth at 67,000 MPH

New Delhi, Jan 19: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has said that a potentially dangerous asteroid as big as Dubai's Burj Khalifa will flypast above the Earth at the speed of

Updated: January 19, 2018 10:44 PM IST

By India.com News Desk

Asteroid News 2021, Asteroid Hitting Earth

New Delhi, Jan 19: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has said that a potentially dangerous asteroid as big as Dubai’s Burj Khalifa will flypast above the Earth at the speed of 67,000mph (107,826kmh) in two weeks. The astonishing speed of the asteroid makes the fastest known near-earth object. It is fifteen times faster than world’s quickest manned aircraft – the hypersonic North American X-15, which achieved the speed of 4,520mph (7,300kmh).

The asteroid will flypast at the distance of around 2,615,128 miles on February 4. NASA, in its statement, said if the asteroid brushes with earth, the temperature will shoot down to 8°C, according to a 2016 study.

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As of December 24, there are 17,495 known Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) around our planet; 17,389 are asteroids’, a Nasa spokesperson told the Express last month.

“As of December 24, there are 17,495 known Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) around our planet; 17,389 are asteroids.” Scientists will be closely monitoring the movement of AJ129 asteroid with the Goldstone Radio Telescope in California.

Goldstone is one of the U.S.’s two high-powered radar astronomy facilities, along with the Arecibo telescope in Puerto Rico.  Nasa is also working on a refrigerator-sized spacecraft that is capable of preventing asteroids from colliding with Earth. A test with a small, non-threatening asteroid is planned for 2024.

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